Value Added

What are you really bringing to the table?

You’ve been in the workplace for a long time – years, perhaps decades. That should be a huge advantage over a younger applicant. Right? Absolutely.

So when you tell a prospective employer that you have 20+ years on the job, they should be impressed, should they not? Absolutely.

Is that all there is?

In today’s job market, however, simply logging time on the job isn’t enough. Not that it isn’t important anymore, because it is. But you need to sell yourself beyond the bare number of years of experience. Your neighbor’s lawn statue has been there for 20 years too. But so what? You need to impress upon that employer what that number means to the prospective organization.

What should be synonymous with your years of experience, is an advanced level of know how. It’s not just that you showed up for 20+ years, it’s what you’ve learned over that time. And what you learned – your know how, your expertise, your efficiency – that’s what you are bringing to the table. You need to focus on the results of your 20+ years, not simply the passing of time, and how you’re going bring that to your new job.

Along with that work experience, there are soft skills – especially those skills typically found among older workers. Things like reliability; like punctuality; like dependability; like commitment. The list goes on and on.

That’s where the real value in hiring you lies. That’s why they should feel comfortable about taking a chance on you. It’s when you tell them that you can do this, that and the other thing because you’ve done it before, and you’ve done it successfully.

More tips.